1520 – 1566★★★★★
Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I rules the Ottoman Empire at the height of its territorial, legal and cultural power.
DynastyPolitics· Turkey
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Events this year
Ongoing
1206 – 1526★★★★★
Founding of the Delhi Sultanate
Qutb ud-Din Aibak establishes the Delhi Sultanate, which dominates much of northern India for over three centuries.
DynastyPolitics· India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
1351 – 1767★★★★★
Founding of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
King Ramathibodi I founds the capital of Ayutthaya, beginning a Siamese kingdom that lasts over four centuries.
DynastyPolitics· Thailand
c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★
The transatlantic slave trade
From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.
Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom
1501 – 1736★★★★★
Ismail I founds the Safavid dynasty
Ismail I proclaims himself shah in Tabriz, founding the Safavid dynasty and making Twelver Shia Islam Iran's state religion.
DynastyReligion· Iran, Azerbaijan